Means for protecting the lamp socket in a lamp during shipment



Nov. 24, 1964 T. A. STIFFEL 3,158,261

MEANS FOR PROTECTING THE LAMP SOCKET IN A LAMP DURING SHIPMENT Filed Dec. 10, 1962 3. //'I x 34' r I 42 I I J6 1/ I II Z y? 1 5 i I! I i 22 I I 4 1 Wu. I I 41 INVENTOR. ano i 1096!? United States Patent 3,153,251 MEANS FGR PROTECTHNG THE LAMP SOCKET IN A LAMP DURING SHIPMENT Theophile A. Stiffel, 525 W. Superior St, Chicago, Ill. Filed Dec. 10, 1962, Set. No. 243,571 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to means for protecting the lamp socket in a lamp during shipment.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide means for protecting the lamp socket of a lamp during shipment.

It has been found that during shipment of lamps packed in shipping cartons, the shell or socket housing is bent or distorted during shipment, due to the fact that weight or pressure is applied during shipment against the upper end of the shell socket. This may bedue to the weight of cantons placed on top of each other, causing pressure to be exerted against the end walls of the carton, which is transmitted to the socket shell thereby distorting same, or it may be due to the shipping carton being inverted during normal handling so that the weight of the lamp inside the carton is borne by the shell. As a consequence lamps are received by the customer or the store with the sockets bent or distorted so that they have to be replaced, which results in added expense and a waste of time and effort. This applies to both door and table lamps.

It is therefore one of the objects of this invention to provide means whereby the lamp socket in the lamp is protected during shipment so that irrespective of the weight or pressure which might be applied against the carton or lamp the socket shell will be completely protected from any such pressure or weight.

Another object of this invention is to provide means detachably secured to the conventional lower part of the harp member already associated with the lamp socket for protecting the lamp socket during shipment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a guard member which may be readily secured in frictional engagement with the lower part of the harp member of a lamp socket unit and which may be readily removed after shipment, all without any appreciable expense, yet serving to protect the lamp socket in the lamp during shipment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a very simple and inexpensive guard member having the foregoing characteristics.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a conventional table lamp packed in a carton with this invention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the socket and the guard member of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the manner of inserting the guard, and

FIG. 4 is a view of the guard member.

While this invention is shown in FIG. 1 in connection with a table lamp, it is applicable to a floor lamp which has the lower portion of a harp member secured to the socket, similarly to thatshown in said figure.

The conventional socket housing generally indicated at It includes a shell 12 and a socket cap 14 to which the shell is secured by depressed portions 16. Extending downwardly from the socket cap 14 is a neck 18-. The conventional socket member is supported inside the shell 12 to receive the conventional light bulb and a socket witch member extends from the shell for operating the socket in the conventional manner.

Harp members are generally secured to the socket for supporting lamp shades'and said harp members include a lower portion which is generally indicated at 253 and an upper portion, not shown, which cooperates therewith, as is well known in the art. In connection with this inven- 3,158,261 Patented Nov. 24, 1%64 tion only the lower portion of the harp unit is used when the upper harp portion is removed therefrom, therefore, reference will be made only to the lower harp portion, which will sometimes also be referred to as a supporting bracket.

The lower portion of the conventional harp member or supporting bracket is indicated generally at 20 and is secured to said socket. Said lower harp portion or bracket 2% has a central portion 22 provided with an enlarged opening 24 which receives the neck 18 of the socket. The aforementioned is attached to the top of a lamp standard 26 in the conventional manner, whether it be a table lamp as shown in FIG. 1 or a floor lamp not shown. Conducting wires pass through the lamp standard and are connected to the socket switch.

The lower harp portion or bracket 20 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed arms generally indicated at 28 which extend outwardly and upwardly of the central portion 22. The section 3%) of each of the arms is angularly inclined and the outermost section 32 extends generally perpendicular with both outermost sections 32 parallel. The arms are generally channel shaped in crossseotion, and more particularly is this true with respect to the outermost sections 32, of the arms. The outermost arm sections 32 are adapted to normally receive the conven tional means for supporting the shade. The foregoing structure described is conventional.

In packing the lamp for shipment, the upper edge or rim A of the shell 12 of the socket is normally positioned adjacent the upper end of the carton with packing material between the edge or rim of the shell and the end wall of the carton. Irrespective of the various packing methods used, the upper rim A of the shell becomes bent and distorted. Likewise, bending of the metal usually takes place in the socket cap 14 in the area normally indicated at B. This necessitates the substitution of a new socket at the destination and entails consequent expense and annoyance.

To avoid bending, distortion or damage to the socket, I provide a generally U-shaped guard generally indicated at 34- which is formed of a substantially rigid wire member, shaped as aforesaid, to provide a pair of spaced generally parallel legs 35 connected by an intermediate cross-section 38. The legs 36 of the guard arenormally urged outwardly away from each other, as shown in FIG. 3, and 4 require a slight manual compression when they are inserted in the channelupper sections 32 of the bracket 29. After they are inserted the legs will exert an outward pressure against the upper sections 32 of the bracket, thereby retaining the guard in a friction tight fit with respect to the lower harp portion or bracket.

The guard member extends above and across the top of the socket shell and is spaced therefrom so that no pressure or weight is applied against the socket shell or cap when the lamp is inside the shipping carton, as shown in FIG. 1, even if the carton is inverted. The cross-section 38 of the guard is positioned adjacent the end wall 40 of the shipping carton 42 and maintains the top of the socket shell away from the end Wall. No pressure or weight can,

be exerted against the top of the socket shell even if the carton is inverted with the socket shell facing downward and supporting the entire weight of the lamp inside the carton. Due to the normal outward pressure of the legs 36 against the insides of the upper arm sections 32 the guard will be frictionally retained in the bracket 20 and cations may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A package carton comprising a protecting means atsached to a lamp socket in a lamp during shipment, said socket including a supporting bracket having a pair of upwardly extending arms provided With channel shaped ends, said protecting means comprising a generally U- shaped member having legs detachably secured and received in said channel shaped ends positioning said memher in an inverted U-shaped position with the top of said member in said inverted position extending above the "top of the socket and in spaced relation thereto, and the top of said inverted U-shaped member lying adjacent and engaging the end wail of the carton.

2. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the inverted 4 U-shaped member is formed of a spring material, with the legs tensioned outwardly to frictionally engage the channel shaped ends of the supponting bracket.

3. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the U-shaped member is substantially rigid, with the legs pressing out-- wardly against the channel shaped outermost ends to frictionally retain said member in secured position to said lower harp portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent Leef Oct. 1, 1946 

1. A PACKAGE CARTON COMPRISING A PROTECTING MEANS ATTACHED TO A LAMP SOCKET IN A LAMP DURING SHIPMENT, SAID SOCKET INCLUDING A SUPPORTING BRACKET HAVING A PAIR OF UPWARDLY EXTENDING ARMS PROVIDED WITH CHANNEL SHAPED ENDS, SAID PROTECTING MEANS COMPRISING A GENERALLY USHAPED MEMBER HAVING LEGS DETACHABLY SECURED AND RECEIVED IN SAID CHANNEL SHAPED ENDS POSITIONING SAID MEMBER IN AN INVERTED U-SHAPED POSITION WITH THE TOP OF SAID MEMBER IN SAID INVERTED POSITION EXTENDING ABOVE THE TOP OF THE SOCKET AND IN SPACED RELATION THERETO, AND THE TOP OF SAID INVERTED U-SHAPED MEMBER LYING ADJACENT AND ENGAGING THE END WALL OF THE CARTON. 